A SALMAGUNDI of MEMORIES Salmagundi; A mixture, an assortment, a pot pourri.
by Sara John
I came across an interesting word recently, salmagundi, and, on checking up on the correct spelling and on its meaning decided it was a good title for this article. Memories of experiences long past, nowadays often triggered by long conversations with old school friends (the old refers of course to the length of the friendships, not the age of the chums), or a movie from the past on television that reminds you of a cinema, a film, or leading actor, and maybe also a companion from that time now long gone, can send you into a reverie of long ago. For people lucky enough to be blessed with a good memory and reasonable recall, and I put myself in that category, there is a price to pay. For me, especially after a visit to any large electronics outlet, often so big that on entering you cannot see the back of the shop, selling a wide range of clearly popular items just short of an actual spaceship, I am made aware of being out of kilter with the world around me.
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The shops these days, for me anyway, are often well stacked with goods I cannot identify and do not require, or do not think I want, particularly if I do not know what they are. We know none will have an instruction booklet. Often abandoning a shopping trip empty handed, and disappointed. I recall recently that I could not buy the printer clearly on display for sale (and it was the one I had already decided on), because it was the last one they had! I had to face reality. I have not been paying attention to what has been happening in the world, probably since decimalisation. In the meantime I can daydream. I can remember and share so many magic moments from the past events and occurrences from life, work, and travel. Many of these fondly remembered moments and warm memories will be familiar. Those moments in time which were never actively sought, but just happened when you were ‘there’ at that spot on
